Horror movies are not everyone's cup of tea. However, for some ardent lovers of the genre, no amount of scares is enough. They can sit through an entire horror franchise marathon, and still walk away unaffected. How cool would it be if one got paid to do it? That is exactly what an informational financial advice website is offering—$1,300 for watching 13 scary movies.
FinanceBuzz, a US-based company, recently announced that it is looking for a 'Horror Movie Heart Rate Analyst'. So what is the job profile? It is simple: Watch 13 horror movies made on varying budgets and let the company record the heart rate of the participant. Literally, putting one's heart to the test! The aim is to ascertain whether the scares delivered by high-budget horror movies are more than those provided by low-budget ones.
"In honor of the upcoming spooky season, we at FinanceBuzz are dying to know whether or not high-budget horror movies deliver stronger scares than low-budget ones," said the company in a statement, referring to the Halloween season that is around the corner.
Budget Vs Quality?
The horror genre is perhaps one of the biggest money-spinners in cinema. Several recent big-budget movies that are laden with special effects and CGI such as It: Chapter 2, A Quiet Place Part II, and World War Z, among others, have done reasonably well at the box office. Others such as those in the Conjuring franchise, The Exorcist, It, and Halloween (2018), among others, were not only made on modest budgets—in comparison to previously mentioned movies—but are also among some of the highest-earning horror movies of all time.
However, some movies produced on shoestring budgets such as Paranormal Activity and The Blairwitch Project surprised fans and critics alike with their quality and also earned millions in the process. Therefore, they are a testament to the fact that big bucks spent do not necessarily mean big bucks made.
"For a movie to make your hair stand on end and send shivers crawling up your spine, it's not all about high-end special effects and CGI scares. More often than not, horror movies are scary because of their story... not the budget of the production studio. Some of the most spectacular slasher films and terrifying thrillers were made with chump change compared to superhero sequels and well-known franchises," the statement emphasized.
The Scary 13
So what are the 13 scare inducers that the aspiring 'Horror Movie Heart Rate Analyst' will have to brave? A mix of 13 horror movies produced on different budgets—A Quiet Place, A Quiet Place Part 2, Amityville Horror, Annabelle, Candyman, Get Out, Halloween (2018), Insidious, Paranormal Activity, Saw, Sinister, The Blair Witch Project, and The Purge. After filling out a questionnaire and applying, the chosen candidate will be sent a Fitbit that will track their heart rate throughout the movie analysis.
They will also have to guess the production budgets of the movies and rank them based on their estimation. The assignment will have to be completed within 10 days (9 October 2021-18 October 2021). Along with the $1,300, the candidate will also receive a gift card of $50 to cover the costs of movie rentals. More information about the challenge can be found on FinanceBuzz's official website.
